


Exceptional X-Men Vol 1

by LarTheBreelander



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Treme X-Men
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28815147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarTheBreelander/pseuds/LarTheBreelander
Summary: THE X-MEN REUNITE! As mutant births surge throughout the world and a new generation of heroes is on the rise, the X-Men can no longer stand apart. After Ororo Munroe and Scott Summers come to an agreement to join forces, it is time to turn public opinion to their favor and to rid the planet of anyone who threatens coexistence. Sorceress MAGIK joins her long-time leader CYCLOPS, together with the psychic ninja PSYLOCKE, the warrior WARPATH, the mercenary DOMINO and the technopath SAGE, to take on their enemies as the EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN!
Relationships: Illyana Rasputin/Scott Summers, Neena Thurman/James Proudstar
Kudos: 4





	1. A Crossing of Paths

The X-Corp offices in Paris seemed fairly quiet at night, the soft breeze outside barely bothering the sleep of its residents. In fact, I could only see a few guards patrolling the lower levels, dangerously used to the lack of incidents in the city; mutants had often found Europeans to be more tolerant than their American counterparts, and that notion had certainly lulled them into a false sense of security over the years. 

Since X-Corp had been resurrected, after several years of inactivity, the sizeable glass window building had changed purposes: what had been simply an administrative outpost, designed to legally and financially aid mutants overseas, was now also a home to many of them who sought asylum yet wished to remain in the continent.

The higher floors, which served as modern residential spaces, were actually largely undefended. Not that heavier security would necessarily have been able to stop me -it definitely wouldn’t have-, but as I walked discreetly past a long series of doors in my black-clad uniform, it did worry me that such a great number of our kind were unprotected so. After all, the very reason we existed was that not every mutant could rely on their own fighting skills to survive. I would need to discuss it further with the Director when I met with him. 

Making sure not to be seen and thus raise any unpleasant alarms, I stuck to the walls and continued until I reached the end of the hall, where the directorial suite awaited behind a metal door slightly thicker than the rest. I thought about knocking, but quickly discarded the idea; there wasn’t much courtesy in dropping unexpectedly in the dead of night, anyways. Grinning to myself, I drew a hand out and my massive soulsword spawned between my fingers. Unleashing it felt amazing-it really was a part of me. I swirled it with only one hand, creating a golden fiery disk around my feet, and then swiftly teleported inside the room.

I found the couple deeply asleep on the bed, his wide feathered wings completely encapsulating her lightly-clothed body in a protective manner while her lilac hair fell across his naked chest. None of them appeared to stir by my arrival; the scene was intimate and lovely, and I stood for a moment to admire it. The two people curled upon one another had never been my closest partners, but years of fighting alongside each other made me consider them part of my extended family nonetheless. We had lived and laughed and died together, and I almost felt bad about disturbing their peace now that they seemed to find it in their love. Almost.

Taking the precaution of standing back a few steps, I cleared my throat softly. My soulsword had retreated into myself once again, and I tried to appear as non-threatening as possible, but it hardly mattered once the woman opened her eyes and saw someone unexpected standing in the bedroom. She immediately jumped forward, waking her companion in the process, and covered the ground between us in a split second; in the same movement, she extended her hand and a vibrant ray of purple light surged forward, forming into a menacing knife beneath my chin. She had done it all in the blink of an eye. When I locked into her gaze, I could see how the murderous look shifted into something more familiar, yet still fierce, as she recognized me.

―Illyana? ―she asked confusedly, without lowering her blade. I couldn’t blame her; despite the unbreakable bond among us, fate had placed us in opposing sides on more than one occasion, the last one not so long ago.

―Elizabeth ―I called, suppressing a smile―, I come in peace.

Her glare lingered for a second, examining my expression, and then receded to give way to an honest grin. She then drew her weapon back into her hand and threw her arms around me, covering me in a quick hug.

―It is good to see you, Illy ―she said once she stepped back. I stared in surprise for a second. Psylocke had never been one to display much affection; she must have been much happier recently.

―Yeah, even if the hour is somewhat ridiculous ―exclaimed the man behind her, still stretched in bed. His white wings were fully expanded now, spanning over five meters wide. It amazed me how, even half asleep, he carried his usual smug face, as if his powers would somehow impress me.

―I’m sorry to inconvenience you so, Warren. I know how precious the Paris Director’s sleep must be, but the mission had to remain secret to the outside. It was no trouble, really ― I smirked, and then added in a more serious note―. You should build up your defences, though. With urgence.

Psylocke’s expression turned a bit somber and shook her head tiredly. 

―Sabra and I have already told him we could come up with the surveillance system and test it ourselves, but he seems to believe we have no need for it. As always, he sees the best in humanity ― she added that last part in an affectionate tone I could hardly believe had come from her.

―Isn’t he an angel? ― I chuckled.

Angel finally stood up and approached us from his side of the bed. I noticed his chest was still naked, but thought nothing of it; I didn’t want him to have to fold his wings, and there was no point in wearing a suit if he was going nowhere. Besides, I have never been shy.

―So, what news of home? Are we at peace at last? ―he questioned me. He had done a good job staying out of the conflict between the various X-Men factions in the past years, but it was clear he despised the situation. Everyone did.

I looked at him sternly.

―As long as there are those who hate us, we will never be at peace ―I answered.

―That’s not what I…

―I know that’s not what you meant ―I interrupted coldly, and then forced myself to control my temper. I was feeling on edge ever since I had been recruited for this mission, but I still knew I was doing the right thing―. I’m sorry. But yeah. Scott and Ororo have come to terms. All the students are in Westchester under her direction now.

Psylocke and Angel beamed at each other and he passed an arm around her waist. I could tell they had both hoped this would happen sooner rather than later. In the end, we all agreed we were much stronger together.

―What about the X-Men? Have they merged as well?― she asked, turning to me. I knew how smart she was; she would be a fool not to suspect anything. However, she hadn’t read my mind yet. I sighed.

―Kind of. There will be two teams-one lead by Rogue, based at the school, and one lead by Cyclops. Hope’s group will handle most of the pickups ― I stated matter-of-fact, my gaze fixed on hers, before I added the last part―. X-Force has been disbanded for now.

The woman’s violet eyes slightly opened with realization. If Cyclops’ union with Storm had eliminated the need for X-Force, then it surely meant his team would replace it. Suddenly, I felt the touch of her mind making her way on my thoughts. I lowered my psionic shields and mentally forwarded what she was looking for: Cyclops discussing our mission with me, the reasons I had accepted to join him, our choice in candidates for our team. Our criteria for these candidates, too.

She frowned and stepped back until she reached the edge of the bed, where she sat, drowning her face in her hands. She had seen why we had chosen her, what she would have to do if she accepted the offer. Both Warren and I stood silently, giving her room to think. The truth was, it didn’t take much to see she wasn’t the same Psylocke as before, and I was pretty sure she knew that, too. Were the stakes high enough?

_ Illyana… The things I did under Cable…  _ she spoke in my mind. I could feel her shame.

_ Were what you felt necessary at the time _ , I affirmed, kneeling in front of her so we faced each other.  _ Yet that’s not what we ask of you. You saw that.  _

―You still want me to kill ― Betsy growled, this time out loud. It wasn’t a question.

Alarmed, Warren knelt as well, holding her hand as he did so. He didn’t look so smug all of a sudden-rather, he seemed worried.

―I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to leave… this ―she whispered to him.

―Betsy, love. Listen ―he said softly, his smile gentle―. This past year or so… It has been one of the best in my life. It has certainly been the happiest. But this is what we do. I know you’ll come back to me. Is this mission something you need to do?

She focused her vision on him, a single tear running through her cheek, and nodded. 

―I think… If we do this right, then it could change everything. We could finally have our future.

―Then go. You will never be a monster, okay? I know you. I know your heart ―he answered heavily, as a few tears trickled down his face as well.

Betsy took a deep breath and pulled his face towards her without muttering another word, his forehead touching hers. They remained that way for a while -sharing a psychic conversation too private for my ears, I suppose- until they both leaned in and shared a heartfelt kiss. Meanwhile, I stared at the floor, hating myself for opening up her old wounds. Nonetheless, this was something I had to do, too.

Finally, she stood up and approached me, touching my shoulder lightly to call my attention. When I raised my eyes, the one I met wasn’t Warren’s Betsy at all, but rather the iron-willed Psylocke I had come looking for. Her eyes now were a hundred times colder; her jaw was clenched and her brow was fixed; she truly seemed a different person altogether.

I nodded goodbye towards Angel and he repeated the gesture, despite wearing a severe frown. Then I turned back to my companion.

―Point me to our enemies ―the ice in her voice pierced through the air.

―Yes ―I stated simply, already calling forth my sword―. But first… we shall meet the others.

\--------------------------

When we stepped out of our disk, we reappeared in a broad meeting area, surrounded by dozens of metal columns which embedded themselves in the walls and then met in the ceiling far above. Two opposing hallways stemmed from the place; the rest of the space between the columns was purely covered by windows. which kept giving me the impression of being inside a capsule. I knew that didn’t wander far from the truth. 

I had decided that I desperately needed to see Psylocke’s reaction, so, as soon as we stepped on the metal floor, I directed her to the closest window.

She gasped quite noticeably.

―Is that…?

―It is! ―I grinned, enjoying her revelation. I live for the little moments.

She looked at me with a careful expression, unsure of what was happening.

―Why am I watching planet Earth from a window, Illyana? ―she murmured, to which I let out a quiet laugh and pointed to the center of the room.

She followed the direction of my finger and saw a wide war-table spread out and project a sea of intertwining holograms onto itself, displaying an array of faces, locations and descriptions. Sitting in a control pod in the middle was a dark haired woman, whose face was characteristically marked with two black scars beneath her eyes. As soon as she noticed us, she stood up and approached Betsy with a hand, but I knew some part of her was still dwelling on her assignment; it was, after all, part of her powerset. Working as a supercomputer, Sage could divide her attention as she saw fit without one activity influencing another in any way.

―Elizabeth Braddock, it is a pleasure to see you again. Welcome to Babylon Station ―the technopath announced as she shook the hand of the newcomer, without breaking a smile. She hardly ever did.

―The pleasure is mine, Tessa. It has been too long.

The stark contrast between the two was noticeable: while Sage wore a long black suit with red details that almost touched the floor, Betsy was still wearing the shorts and simple T-shirt she had been sleeping in.

―Well, well. Fuck me if this isn’t looking more and more like old Cable’s pack! ―exclaimed a voice behind us. As the three of us turned swiftly towards the call, Domino and Warpath emerged from the hallway on the right, and grins on both their faces as they recognized us. They were both suited up -he in white-black, she in full black- in what seemed to be reimagined black ops uniforms.

―Wrong Summers ―I laughed, and jumped to tackle my old teammate while Neena greeted Betsy with a hug. I was glad they got along; I felt responsible for Psylocke and it would unquestionably make things easier if she didn’t feel alone in the team.

As James Proudstar spun me through the air at his considerable height, I couldn’t help but think about all the time we had spent apart recently. However proud I felt about my work with Cyclops and Emma Frost -which is someone I would have never expected to some day consider a friend-, I still regretted the massive split the X-Men had experienced and that was only now starting to heal. This team was a fine attempt to do so: Scott and I from our old side, James and Betsy from Ororo’s, Neena and Tessa from neither. If we indeed managed to fulfill our goals, then we would prove the others we were still a family after all.

Our fearless leader showed up a little bit later, once we had all made acquaintances and were actually waiting for him. When his sight met mine as he entered the room, I gave him a small encouraging smile. I knew this was important to him.

―Hello, everybody. I’m glad to see you all. Please, take your seats ―greeted Cyclops in an amiable tone, and I’m guessing he was just as surprised as I was when he received an unexpected hug from Psylocke.

―It’s damn good to see you, Scott ―she stated as he dubiously wrapped his arms around her. Just a year ago, this would have been impossible. Things were changing already.

―Yeah, boss. How 's the lady? ―asked James as he took the seat next to mine. I gave him a little push with my shoulder to shush him up, but he gave me a wicked grin in return. I still remembered the time he was part of the Hellions before joining the New Mutants, and it seemed that so did he.

Scott looked a bit bewildered as Betsy liberated him from the embrace. 

―If you are referring to the White Queen, Proudstar, then she’s hardly my “lady” anymore ―he answered seriously as he took the seat at the head of the table―. But she’s quite alright, thank you. Last I heard, she was discussing with Ororo which class to teach this semester. Rachel wasn’t too happy when she tried to take over telepathic self-defense.

That last part got a loud snort out of Psylocke. Although I hadn’t seen her in a while, I knew what she found hilarious: Rachel Summers, aka Prestige, was an unstoppable force of nature. There was no way Frost could steal one of her classes and get away with it.

―I don’t know how much Magik has told you already. so I will summarize everything we got so far ―Cyclops began, looking at our faces while he did so; I thought we looked eager―. The X-Men have come together and this is it. We are one of the two teams that will be operating simultaneously; our purposes, however, will be slightly different. While the team in Westchester will be the face of our people and take a more passive role, protecting the students and responding to calls for aid, we will do precisely the opposite. We will be the hand that strikes our foes; we will no longer wait for them to come to us. Instead, we will root them out and dispose of them once and for all. 

― The mission is pretty straight-forward: we have simply accumulated too many enemies, many of which are mutants who have pitted public opinion against us. If we do not stop it now, the future generations that are now growing will be trapped in this infinite circle of violence. Humanity will fear mutants because of these individuals alone. Make no mistake: we will face humans if we have to, but our goal must be to clean our name to the public by eliminating these threats. People must know we are on their side-no real offensive can be launched against us without public support.

―Lastly, Magneto has created this orbiting station for us out of the remains of Avalon so we could employ it as a base. It’s got everything we need, from residential suites to a revamped Blackbird we can use if Illyana is unavailable. 

―You should know you have all been picked because you’ve excelled in teams far more ruthless than the normal X-Men… and this group is cleared to take lethal action if necessary. We will try to make it without it, but our enemies’ death is an acceptable outcome; we need to make sure they’re not coming back. The time has come to secure the future of the mutant race. So what do you say?

The table had grown silent as we meditated Cyclops’ words. Even I, who had been aware of most of what he had said, had been taken aback by the certainty in his words. My doubts had vanished; in that moment, I believed in the mission more than in anything else.

I left my chair and raised my hand in the air, wielding my fiery soulsword towards the ceiling. Its light reflected on my face as I stared at Cyclops decidedly. Tessa nodded and followed, putting on her crimson cybernetic glasses as a sign of readiness. Domino and Warpath then shared a look and slowly stood up as well, her pistols already in her hands, his hands clenched into fists. The last one to agree was Psylocke; as she joined us, seemingly much more determined, the vibrant purple light erupting from her hand into a full psychic sword. Even in civilian clothes, she looked terrifying.

―Good ―said Cyclops, standing himself, the border of his visor gleaming with red in a fierce expression―, because our first target is Sinister and his Marauders.


	2. Sinister Times

Scott Summers walked the busy streets of Salem Center as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I watched him through the screen as he strolled past several shops, looking interested in the items displayed, his visor being the only thing distinguishing him from the crowd. He played the part of a relaxed tourist quite convincingly; I knew his mind was actually racing at hundreds of miles per hour, collecting every bit of information around him. When he turned his head slightly to the side, I knew he had found something.

―A black van at six o’clock, a block away ―he informed us over the comms, and then took the earpiece out and stepped on it as he walked ―. _Switching to mindspeak._

― _Got you covered_ ―Psylocke’s words resonated in our psychic link.

Tessa and I were back in Babylon, following Scott’s trail through a multitude of street cameras feeding into our system. The technopath was scanning dozens of them at once, and it didn’t take her long to locate Cyclops’ persecutors just over a block away. I could tell they were trying to be discreet, but there was no hiding from Sage.

― _Warpath, we need a blindspot. They won’t engage out in the open_ ― she directed.

I could sense James’ accelerated rhythm as he blasted through the rooftops over Scott, using his enhanced vision to search for the place our coordinator had asked for.

― _I found it. Cyclops, turn to your right two blocks from now. There are no people or cameras in that alley._

― _Remember to make it convincing_ ―added Sage with an imperceptible smirk only I could see―. _We must cut you off the mindlink in case they have a psychic._

Once Scott turned on the indicated corner and was out of range of our feed, I pulled out my sword and teleported to the rooftop of the building right over his head. Warpath was already there, scouting from the edge to make sure there were no civilians that could get injured. He only greeted me with a small wave when I arrived; this was a covert mission and it was best to do it in silence.

Together, we observed as the black van that pursued him also headed for the alley. It hadn’t quite reached our leader when a back door opened and three Marauders poured out. The mad scientist Nathaniel Essex, which went by the quite appropriate alias Mister Sinister, had had many servants along the years -which he cloned again and again as they fell- and these were some of the most dangerous. Scott was already preparing to meet them, striking a fighting pose and filling his visor.

―Surrender yourself, Cyclops. Essex wants a word ―growled one of them, carrying a gigantic gun between his arms. Half of his body seemed to be covered in cybernetics. I froze for a second, and I shot James a worried look from my hiding spot: these guys weren’t usually so civil. 

―So this is what you’ve been doing lately, _Scalphunter_? ―Scott asked with disgust― I guess it really is once a murderer, always a murderer with Sinister’s lot.

―Are you fucking offering yourself?

―Enough! ―interrupted the head of the group, this time a woman clad in green who I recognized as Vertigo. The driver had also stepped down from the vehicle, and the four of them were circling our teammate as they unleashed their powers. The leader raised her hands threateningly towards Scott; the second one’s body began to spin uncontrollably, effectively creating a mini tornado around himself; and the short driver pulled a large harpoon from his back, which began to glow with energy. 

I was barely able to contain myself and not jump into battle. Warpath must have sensed my uneasiness, because he was glaring at me pointedly.

― _We all agreed on this_ ―he reminded me.

Unable to do anything else, I nodded and turned my attention back to the fight. All Marauders had jumped at the same time, but Cyclops was doing a good job in holding them back. He had shot a beam at Vertigo first, crashing her against the wall -he couldn’t let her get close- and ducked in the same movement to avoid being impaled by a harpoon flying just over his head. He then exchanged a few blows with Scalphunter, but was thrown off his step by a tornado raising the cement below, courtesy of purple-wearing Riptide. 

Struggling for solid ground, he struck the spinning Marauder back with a kick and then released his optic rays on the cybernetic man, blasting him in an explosion of red that sent him flying dozens of meters in the other direction and left a smoking hole on his shoulder. Scott looked pretty satisfied with himself-until he realized the woman had crawled onto him and was grabbing him by the foot. He suddenly fell to his knees, unable to keep himself upright, and was surprised by another harpoon, this one connecting the energy into his ribs and stunning him completely. It was over.

The two Marauders left standing didn’t wait a second; they launched forward and, between the two, carried him to the back of the van, where they deposited him not as delicately as I would have hoped. The woman in green went back to help the spinning guy to his feet, but when the shorter one sought Scalphunter -who was very still and had yet to move after being blasted- she gestured towards the corner, where people were already concentrating due to the noise.

―Leave him, Harpoon ―she ordered, heading for the vehicle―. Sinister will make another.

The driver obeyed, and soon they were driving with speed out of the alley, charging into the curious bystanders who hastily moved to a side.

― _They’ve taken him and are going east_ ―I projected to our other teammates― _. There are three Marauders in the van-Vertigo, Harpoon and Riptide._

― _Don’t worry girl, we see them. Sage can direct us from here_ ―answered Domino from afar. She and Psylocke had been waiting in a civilian car outside the alley and were now moving.

We could finally stop hiding, so James and I promptly jumped to the street below; he then went to check on the fallen Marauder while I looked around the remains of the fight. I was still gritting my teeth about remaining idle while Cyclops got beat up. I was used to a more direct kind of mission -our old mutant revolution had mostly faced their problems head-on- but that only meant I had much to learn. The first harpoon was still there, half-deep into a wall; it reminded me how lucky we were they had caught our leader alive.

―Magik, he’s moving! ―James yelled at me from his position. Unwilling to waste time, I opened a disk beneath me as I extended my hand forward, reappearing a few meters over the Marauder; the moment I hit the ground, my soulsword was fully formed and suspended only a few centimeters above his chest.

―Don’t even think about it ―I barked. 

To be honest, it didn’t look like there was much Scalphunter could actually do; there was an enormous, nasty-looking chunk of shoulder missing where the blast had hit, and the man was obviously in a lot of pain. Yet he had already opened his eyes and was trying to move, no doubt the effect of some regenerative factor.

The cybernetic man obviously recognized me, because he gasped and attempted to put a hand between us-which only caused him to cry out in pain.

―Spare the torture and kill me, sorceress ―he muttered.

―I don’t think I will ―I responded ferociously, my sword still hanging over his heart while I kept my eyes on his at all times. At the same time, a psychic communication ensued between the minds of my team.

― _Sage, we found a Marauder that was left behind. He 's badly injured, but conscious and speaking. What should we do?_ ―was asking James.

― _There’s no point in questioning him for directions and risking a trap when Domino and Psylocke are already on their trail_ ―was all she answered. My old friend and I shared a look at the subtext.

―Do you want me to do it? 

―I’m the Sorceress Supreme of my own hellish dimension, James. I think I can dispose of a second-rate mercenary.

Oddly, the second-rate mercenary in question wasn’t showing the same decisiveness now that I was actually talking about finishing him off. He had even managed to get on his knees while I was distracted, but it only took me a second to catch up with his crawling; I turned him on his back and lifted my colossal weapon to make a clean strike.

―John Greycrow, you are a murderer. You killed hundreds of Morlocks when you razed the city tunnels. You massacred innocent lives. Children’s lives. Despite your crimes, twice the X-Men have granted you safe haven, and you still stand against us. No more.

―Wait! ―the words ached against his throat as he pleaded for his life ― Wait. Please. I know my crimes. I’ll help you get Essex.

―Really? You would betray your master so? ―I mocked him, not buying it.

―He’s not my fucking master. Not anymore ―he sputtered under his breath.

―Then why do you carry out his bidding? ―I received no answer, so I put my foot against his shoulder and pressed, making him scream of pain― Why?

―Arclight! He 's got Arclight on me! He will kill her if I don’t obey him.

Standing back, I thought for a moment about the possible scenarios. I didn’t want to kill anyone if I didn’t have to, but Sage had been clear. James actually looked a bit startled; I had to remind myself we hadn’t fought together in a long time, so he wasn’t really aware of how much more ruthless I had become, not really. I made a choice.

―This is how it’s gonna work, Greycrow. First, you tell us whatever we want. Once we deal with Sinister -and make no doubt, we will- Cyclops will decide what to do with you. You may even get your girl back. If we find out you lied to us or you try to run? I’ll hunt you down myself and throw you to a horde of demons. Is it clear?

It was clear.

\--------------------------

When Sage, Warpath and I stepped out of the disk, our two teammates who had followed the Marauders’ van were already waiting for us, seemingly ready and wearing their uniforms. Since they had directed us to a covert spot in the forest a few hundred meters away from our objective, James used the time as we approached the site to fill them in on what we had learned from Scalphunter.

―There’s five Marauders in this place that Greycrow knew of, excluding himself and Arclight, who is apparently their prisoner. Apart from Vertigo, Harpoon and Riptide, Blockbuster and Prism are also fully under Sinister’s command.

―Harpoon and Blockbuster are mine ―said Psylocke, her eyes fixed in the ground. All of us knew better than to contradict her in that.

―What about Sinister? Did you get anything useful about him? ―asked Domino. In addition to the guns attached to her hip, she was carrying a large black bag across her back.

―We did; apparently, we caught him in a weak spot, which is good for us. He’s still got my brother’s heightened abilities, as well as his usual telepathy and telekinesis, but Greycrow hasn’t seen him teleport in all the time he’s been here. He’s probably got a few other powers up his sleeve, but if he can’t escape... ―meditated James.

―I can keep you and Domino protected from his telepathy, unless he’s focusing solely on me ―told him Psylocke―. However, his telekinesis is a problem; we need to keep him distracted. What’s the plan, Sage?

The scarred woman stopped and thought for a moment. 

―You, Warpath and Domino take on the Marauders and eliminate them as quickly as you can; meanwhile, Magik and I will hold Sinister off somehow. We’re naturally shielded to his control, so he’ll have to fight us. Once you deal with the others, join us and we’ll dispatch him together.

After considering her plan, I nodded in agreement. Not that I enjoyed the thought of a two-on-one combat with Essex -they weren’t great odds when dealing with him- but I was more surprised to discover Sage was telepathy resistant. My magic protected me, yet there was clearly more than met the eye going on around her. Besides, I had always heard she was a competent warrior.

We were almost out in the clear: I now distinguished the shape of an old mansion above the trees, and the sight riled me up. That’s where we would encounter or foe, for better or for worse; that’s where they were keeping our leader. Aware that Sinister wouldn’t miss his chance to capture the head of the X-Men, Scott had offered himself as bait without a second thought. He knew he would be tortured by the obsessed madman, yet did it anyways, and now both his life and the mission were in our hands.

―I see them ―said Warpath, raising a hand to stop our approach―. Five Marauders guarding the courtyard north of the building. Prism is gesticulating at the others and pointing at a vehicle. I’m guessing he wants to go get Greycrow back.

―You need to stop them before they leave. Magik and I are teleporting to the other side of the mansion; give us a signal when you launch the attack so we can infiltrate without drawing them to us ―commanded Sage, producing a pair of handguns.

―Oh, you’ll get a signal, alright ―said Domino as she dropped the giant bag she was carrying and opened it. Falling to a knee, she then pulled out an impressive rocket launcher, which she placed on her shoulder while adjusting her aim ―. Should we get started?

Sage was left a bit dumbfounded by the weapon, but she composed herself after a moment and signalled me. I bumped my fist with Psylocke's -who looked terrifyingly murderous- and quickly teleported our coordinator and me to the other side of the place. We reappeared facing the back of the house, in front of several wide windows covering the wall.

Almost immediately, a blaring explosion rocked the ground we were standing in, sweeping both of us off our feet and shattering the glass all around: Domino had struck.

With no time to waste, we climbed the walls and snuck through the holes in the windows, swiftly moving on to the darkened halls that plagued the mansion. My companion was guiding me, having incorporated the building blueprints before teleporting here; even so, I was amazed by her agility as we flew past silent rooms and empty rooms. It seemed to me Sage knew exactly where her feet would land at every turn.

Finally, we reached the edge of a staircase that descended into the basement. We had scoured through the rest of the building, finding no resistance; Sinister had to be down there. This was it.

Preparing for battle, I extended my hand and invoked the magics of Limbo, the dimension I ruled as sorceress and that allowed my teleportation to function. My soulsword materialized in a flash, hungry for battle, but this time I didn’t stop there. I kept my hand out until a thick layer of white armor sparked between my fingers and began to spread through my whole body; when it finished, only my face remained uncovered.

―Elegant ―muttered Sage, shaking her head―. You’re far more powerful than people recognize, aren’t you?

I only answered with a smile before I launched head first into the stairs and rammed through the door at the end, finding myself in a laboratory of pristine white, replete with machines of various sizes and sporting a couple of tray tables in the center of the room. They were both occupied -Arclight and Cyclops, I assumed-, and a large man clad in black was leaned on one menacingly while he stared at us. It was Sinister, holding a knife to an unconscious Scott’s throat.

It wasn’t the first time I faced Dr. Nathaniel Essex, so I recognized him the moment I saw him. As a consequence of his endless genetic experiments, he wore a face pale as chalk, crowned by a single red gem; his body was covered by a tight black suit, layered by a long feathered cape, the neck of which rose even higher than his head. The truth is, he barely looked humanoid at all.

―Ah! So it was you two who caused all that ruckus upstairs! What a bore, really. Now I’ll have to clone those idiots all over again ―he lowered his head to Cyclops’ level, despite keeping his eyes fixed on us and his blade unflinching on his hand― . Hear that, Summers? THE X-MEN ARE HERE!

―Step away from him, Sinister ―I heard myself say. Sage was stiff beside me.

―You see, I don’t think I will. Be a dear and put that sword in the ground, will you? ―he answered, and to emphasize his point, he plunged his knife into Scott’s shoulder, and then pulled it out, drawing blood.

But the second he did so, I plunged into action, opening a portal right between his feet and teleporting him at a punching distance in front of us. Before he even touched the ground, I threw my sword at him in a high blow, which he stopped in mid-air by raising a hand. However, Sage had attacked too, and connected a kick that sent him crashing into the heavy machinery in the room.

―Ah! Illyana Rasputina, is it? I’d love to get a hand on your DNA. I must say, those portals seem quite useful… ―he exclaimed from the ground, at which point he raised his hands and every single lab instrument began levitating around him, only to come flying to us at full speed a second later. Relaying on my instincts, I raised my hands and projected a disk to protect us, swallowing his attack and opening up again before Sinister’s position, thus sending his improvised missiles back at him.

Only he wasn’t there anymore-his enhanced abilities coming into play as he came up to Sage at impossible speed, punching her hard and decking her against a corner. Battered up, she pulled her guns and fired at him, but he stopped the bullets and sent them at me with a gesture; I silently thanked my magical armor when they hit and dropped without leaving a dent. Sinister used my distraction to finish off my partner, yanking her weapons away from her telekinetically and then kicking her in the face, her head nastily hitting against a wall.

I stepped back, with my back towards Scott’s immobile body, raising my sword in a protective manner. He wasn’t coming through.

―So, Ms. Rasputina, what are you planning to do now, I wonder? ―he asked as he turned to me and took a menacing step. He was sure I couldn’t defeat him on my own, I could tell. As his arrogance enraged me, I swore in my head I would bring him down one way or another, even if I had to call forth every demon at my disposal.

Nevertheless, any plan I was making crumbled as the ceiling did the same. A split of a second later, a whole section of it came crashing down, and a surprised Sinister had no choice but to throw himself to a side to avoid being leveled. From the higher level, standing above all the rubble and chunks of ceiling, was coming to my rescue the other squad, the three of them looking disheveled but alive.

―Die, Sinister! ―roared Psylocke as she charged down towards him, her two companions right behind her. The madman used his hands to muster a wall of stone and metal between him and his enemies, but Warpath jumped and destroyed it with a kick; he then grabbed Essex by the hands and threw him against the wall using his momentum. I saw the body fall to the ground and was trying to guess how many ribs that hit had cracked when I noticed the red gem in his forehead beginning to glow. I immediately teleported.

Part of the reason Sinister was so dangerous was that he was, in fact, very hard to kill. Not only did he clone his servants repeatedly, but he also made scores of mindless copies of himself, stashed away in some remote location until the day came he needed them. By some power or advanced technology, the scientist possessed the ability to “jump” bodies-and therefore endlessly escape death at enemy hands. The red glow was a sign of this process.

Still furious, Psylocke unleashed her psychic sword and she and Domino sprung at Essex simultaneously, who was already standing up again. When he saw them coming, he simply raised a hand and sent a wave of metal bars against their legs. Domino managed to avoid them by jumping back, but Psylocke wasn’t so lucky: she lost balance and hit her head with the floor, effectively knocking herself out. 

In a cry of victory, Sinister walked a few steps towards the retreating Warpath and Domino, who suddenly froze in their spots. He gloated in their horrified faces, the faint glow in his head gem seemingly ceasing to brighten.

―So that’s it for your mental protection, isn’t it? Look at that. It seems all you managed to do is add a couple more servants to my...

I imagine it must have looked pretty weird from their side, unable to move, when suddenly Sinister stopped talking. Even weirder when his head just tilted to a side and fell, completely severed from his body in a single clean strike of my soulsword. He had been so wrapped in his new adversaries that hadn’t noticed his most powerful enemy behind him; he would never make that mistake again.

Everything went quiet for a moment, and when my teammates regained control of their bodies, they fell to their knees, both of them exhausted and gawking at me. Psylocke laid on the floor a few meters away; Sage was still against the wall, her legs trapped under a monitor.

―Come on ―I said, glaring at the corpse while I headed to the tray where Arclight and Cyclops were laying, his shoulder still bleeding profusely―. I’ll teleport our injured out of here while you try to salvage any information you can from this place. And then ―I added, my grin wider than ever―, we’re torching it to the ground.


	3. Future Days

Westchester was actually quiet in the morning, which was noteworthy. Ever since the reunification and the student merger, the Jean Grey school had been positively swamped with them, and was only returning to normal now that there were two whole new wings fully operational as residential spaces. I wondered if I would have time to visit my old protegeés: the three Cuckoos, Tempus, Goldballs, Triage…

The whole team was there, and I hadn't left my chair by Scott’s side since we arrived the day before. Sinister had done a number on him before we rescued him, with deep cuts in his arms and several broken ribs apart from the shoulder wound; luckily, both the healer Elixir and Hank McCoy, the Beast, had worked him over and said he would be alright. On the other hand, Sage had regained consciousness unnaturally fast, but they hadn’t allowed her to leave bed-so she was instead speaking to Psylocke while the latter held an ice pack to her injured head. Our other two teammates, relatively unscathed, were sitting together.

The relative peace we found ourselves in was fractured when two new figures entered the med bay: headmistress Ororo Munroe, a.k.a the weather goddess Storm, and Anne Marie, who co-led the X-Men as Rogue. Between the two of them and Cyclops, they possessed the highest authority, and, as such, they were the only ones to be fully aware of the lethal nature of our mission.

―Is it true, then? You got Sinister and his Marauders for good this time? ―said Storm softly, in a somewhat disbelieving tone once she was facing us.

―Hey, that last part was almost entirely Betsy ―exclaimed Neena pointing at her friend, who smiled sheepishly at the newcomers―. The crazy badass took out three of them and probably would have gotten the rest if we hadn’t been there. 

―And it was Illyana who finally dispatched Essex ―added James, looking appreciatively at me―. She cut his head off outright before he could jump bodies.

Hearing that last part, Storm’s expression turned into a wide grin; she took a few steps and trapped me in a tight hug. 

―In the name of us all, thank you ―she whispered against my hair.

―My pleasure ―I answered crookedly, and retook my chair next to Scott. Rogue didn’t look quite as pleased.

―So this is how it’s gonnah be, ‘Ro? They’ll just run around killing ah enemies?

―Right now, we’re not running anywhere, Rogue― I said harshly, not ready to take crap for what we had done―. We’re staying here to heal. But we do have a job for Remy, so if you’ll contact him for us, I’m sure _he_ will appreciate what we have done.

It was a low blow, I knew it, and the woman looked taken aback. Her romantic relationship with master thief Gambit was very long and complicated, and considering his ancient ties as a Sinister henchman… He would certainly be happy the madman was gone.

―Is this job something I should know about? ―asked Storm with concern in her voice. I looked at Sage and mutedly indicated her to explain our idea.

―Not quite. Warpath and Domino managed to find data indicating the location of four stashes of Sinister clones, but there are probably more. To avoid the chance of Sinister popping back into one of them again for whatever reason, we plan to send a team to scour these places for information on more on them and then destroy everything-thus the request for Gambit. We thought he would be up for the task. 

Ororo meditated the proposal in her head. Meanwhile, Rogue stood by her side silently; I could tell by her expression she agreed with the plan. After all, she hated Sinister just like the rest of us.

―Yes ―the headmistress finally pronounced ―. If you need a demolition team, then Boom-Boom and Jubilee will probably want to come… and Armor for protection? ―she looked at Rogue, who nodded― Okay. I’ll tell them to pick up a couple of the others and to go get Gambit, since he’s with X-Factor right now.

―I’ll forward the information to both of you ―assured Sage. 

―There's one more thing ―I said, as everyone turned to face me― We captured an injured Scalphunter before we attacked the mansion. I was about to kill him when he claimed Essex was extorting him using Arclight, so he gave us information regarding Sinister and we deposited him in a warehouse until we got out. Strangely, he spoke the truth, and now both of them are waiting for Cyclops to pass judgement. 

―What makes you think they haven’t escaped yet? ―asked Storm, suddenly very interested.

―Well, Arclight was severely wounded when we found her in Sinister’s lab… and I also might have frightened Greycrow a little bit. I think it’s fitting you decide what to do with the pair, considering you ruled the Morlocks for a time.

―I will ―the leader agreed sternly, and then both she and the X-Man turned around and walked resolutely out the med bay, leaving the room in silence once again.

―So that’s how it’s gonna be, eh? No “job well done” bonus? What a shame! ―exclaimed Neena, and the rest of the crew let out quiet laughs in unison.

I weighed my team’s faces. They were all happy to have completed the job, but all of them seemed absolutely exhausted-and with reason. It had been a difficult first mission indeed. Making plans in my head, I checked on Cyclops: he still looked peacefully asleep, with no signs of waking from his deep slumber any time soon.

―Alright, tell me where you want to go ―I said enthusiastically, and when I received no response―. I’m serious! We’re not doing anything until Scott is up and running, so we got a few days anyways. Just tell me where you want to go and I’ll drop you off, and then I’ll go fetch you when it’s time for the next mission. 

Psylocke was the first one to accept, standing up and dropping her ice pack on a tray table.

―I’d like a ticket to Paris, please.

―Sure. Please be wearing clothes when I come back for you. What about the rest?

James and Neena glanced at each other and then stood up as well, holding hands. 

―We… we would actually like to stay in Babylon, if no one else will use it ―said James, meeting my eyes with a funny expression. I was delightfully surprised, and made a mental note to ask him since when Domino and him were a thing.

―We will most definitely _not_ be wearing clothes when you come get us ―added Neena with an innocent grin.

―I’ll be careful to knock. You won’t be staying at the station, will you, Sage?

―No, thank you, I’m going to Los Angeles to check on the X-Corp base there. It hasn’t been a year and Da Costa is getting into trouble already.

I thought about Roberto’s smugness being crushed by Sage’s matter-of-fact personality and smiled: my ex-teammate from the New Mutants was in so much trouble. Raising my hands, I opened a golden disk in front of us, and signalled Betsy to come forward. They truly deserved the rest.

\--------------------------

A couple hours later, I was flipping through the pages of a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ I had found laying around -which, in my expert opinion, was severely lacking demons- when Scott finally came back to life, jumping a bit and then partially relaxing when he saw me sitting by his side.

―Illyana? Are you okay? ―he asked faintly. I put aside my book to move closer to him and hold his hand.

―Welcome back, fearless leader. I’m okay. We’re all safe and sound ―I answered.

He stared for a second and then nodded; I felt him grasp my hand tighter.

―I take it the mission went well, then? 

―It did. We eliminated Sinister yesterday, hopefully for good this time. I got half the team knocked out, though-which is why I sent them away once they were cleared by the doctors. I hope that 's okay.

He pulled his head back into the pillow, visibly relieved. I couldn’t say I blamed him; while Sinister had made all of our lives miserable at one point or another, the Summers genetic line had always been his favourite. As long as he lived, Scott could never even dream of having a relatively peaceful life, and now everything had changed.

―You haven’t been sitting there this whole time, have you? ―he said abruptly, probably guessing it by the array of empty snack packs and the several books all piled up in the chair next to me.

―It’s okay, really, I don’t mind sleeping in a chair. I just felt you should wake up with a friendly face by your side. I’m not sure you noticed, Scott ―I said, whispering as if I was telling him a secret ―, _but I think they still don’t like us very much_.

That last part got a snort out of him, and he then began to laugh outright, which was probably rough for his sore ribs -even if Elixir had healed him up completely- because he automatically grabbed his stomach with a pained expression.

―Harpoon ―he explained sorely.

―I know, I was watching the whole time ―I informed him while I checked on the spot of impact: there wasn’t even a scar ―. I’m sorry.

―Don’t be. It got the job done, and you completed the mission. It’s everything we had hoped for ―he said, covering his stomach with his shirt―. I’m only sorry I didn’t get to watch the fight. I’m guessing it was seriously epic?

―Well… I may or may not have chopped his head off so quickly that it stayed upright on its own… ―I said innocently.

―You chopped… ―he was at a loss for words― You’re something else, Illy.

― I’m fully aware, Scott. Trust me.

―I imagine there’s no way I could convince you to go find an actual bed to sleep on while I nap for a bit?

―You would imagine correctly ―I told him, while I reaccomodated myself in the chair―. Sleep tight, Scott. I’ll be right here.

\--------------------------

―Everyone is staring ―Scott told me as we walked down a hall bursting with students. It was past lunchtime, and after he had gotten into a heated argument with Beast about not being able to lay idly while the future of mutantkind was at stake, the doctor had begrudgingly allowed him to leave. Thus, we were now roaming the school looking for Storm’s office, yet everything was so different that we had no clue which route to take.

―I would remind you, _Cyclops_ , that until not so long ago, you were the face of a worldwide mutant revolution. It is expected for people to stare ―I said impassively.

―It’s more about the way they do it… they seem angry, don’t they?

I took a quick peek around and had to agree with his comment. There were some children who gawked wide-eyed, sure, but most of them just expressed resentment, and there was no one coming over to talk to us.

―They’ll get over it. They haven’t been in this as long as you and I, so they had never come across the X-men taking sides. It probably didn’t help that we were doing everything they were teaching them not to do: you know, taking SHIELD and the Avengers head-on, disregarding other countries’ sovereignties…

―I understand that, Illy. I know, sometimes, there needs to be a bad guy-I’m guessing that’s us. But how come they don’t get we were protecting them all this time? ―he sounded disappointed.

―Oh, give me some time, would you? I just got here! ―blurted a familiar voice behind us.

Startled, we turned around simultaneously to come upon someone we knew very well. Her long white dress somehow appeared to be even whiter, and it was accompanied by an elegant fur coat that ran along her arms and twirled upon them until it met her cascading hair near her shoulders. During the last couple of years, I had grown to love Emma Frost, but she would certainly never cease to amaze me.

―Emma! ―I called out, and moved into a hug before she could repel me. Albeit she usually made a point of keeping her distance, I knew just how much it meant for her to see us there; she didn’t really have many friends.

―Yes, yes, I’ve missed you too, my dear ―she said delicately, and, once I released her, turned her attention to her ex-partner―. Scott. You look awful.

―Thank you, Emma. You look wonderful, as always. What were you talking about when you interrupted us?

She shot a cold glance at him and then replaced it with a much more amicable expression; she was indeed glad to see us.

―Oh, now that you ask, that insufferable daughter of yours won’t surrender the telepathy classes to me, even when I have much more experience on the matter… It swear, I don’t know what it was you taught her, but I expected better.

―You know very well I didn’t raise her, Emma ―he answered with a smile―, but I’m glad she’s giving you a run for your money.

―In any case ―she continued, pretending she hadn’t heard him―, I’ve decided to rescue the poor lost souls of this school and teach Ethics instead.

Scott and I stared at each other for a split second and then just bursted into laughing. The White Queen teaching ethics at the Jean Grey School had to be riling some people up. Apparently, she had thought of that herself, because she let out a little giggle; yet I wasn’t too sure she was taking pleasure at the situation or at the fact that Scott was in tremendous amounts of pain after all the laughing.

―I meant it when I said you looked awful. You both do, actually. Who was it? I promise I’ll erase their happiest memories and leave a feeling of emptiness in their place; it will drive them mad, trust me.

―Well, I remember Sinister did look all happy and gloaty before he lost his head… but I’m not sure you could do much about it now ―I smirked, as her eyes turned wide open.

All of a sudden, I felt her presence in the air. Emma was extending her mind to us, offering privacy: since I knew I had a much more thorough recollection of what had happened than the man who had slept through most of it, I lowered my magical psychic shields and let her skim through my memories of our mission.

When she had finished, she hardly waited a second before she took a step forward and slapped Scott across the face, after which she turned towards me, positively livid.

―You let him offer himself as bait?! He could have died! What were you thinking?!

―I didn’t enjoy watching him get beat up either, but it worked ―I defended myself, shrugging―. It was his plan.

―Emma, you can’t slap… ―started Scott, bewildered by her reaction.

―Of course it was his plan! ―she persisted, outright ignoring him― The man is an idiot. It’s your job to stop him from stupid decisions like that!

―Emma ―I repeated, grabbing her by her shoulders―. It worked. He’s fine. Elixir treated his injuries, Hank did a complete medical swoop, and he just slept twenty hours straight. He 's more than fine.

―You arrived here yesterday? I didn’t see you at dinner last night ―she asked, a little confused since the last memory I had shown her had been Sinister dying.

―I was keeping him company ―I pointed out.

She was about to say something else, but she held her tongue and just stared at me incredulously. I felt like I was missing something.

―What? 

―Oh, for fuck’s sakes, Illyana. Never mind ―she said, and gestured to Scott, who had been watching the entire exchange unsure of what to do―. Were you heading anywhere in particular when I stopped you?

―We were, actually ―he said, happy to be a part of the conversation again―. We were looking for Storm, but the school has been destroyed and rebuilt at least three times since we last visited, so we can’t find her office.

―Well, she's out right now -I picked up something about Morlock justice- but you can wait in mine until she returns. That'll give Illyana time to visit her brother.

―Piotr is here? ―I asked, immediately lighting up. I hadn't had a conversation with my big brother in ages; the shadow of our past grievances still hung over our heads and I couldn’t wait to speak to him again.

―Yes, my dear. Down the hallway turning left, third door to the right.

Despite barely being able to hold my feet, I studied Scott’s face, feeling a bit hesitant about leaving him alone with Emma after having looked after him for almost a full straight day.

―I’ll have her call you as soon as Storm arrives. Go! ―Scott encouraged me, so I nodded and bolted towards the end of the corridor, sensing Emma’s eyes stuck on my neck as I followed her directions.

\--------------------------

―What is the meaning of these combined art classes I hear about? Do I need to have a conversation with Ororo? Because you know I will ―I teased.

I had found Piotr deeply involved in a beautiful landscape of Saint Petersburg, and had stood in the doorway for a minute simply admiring his devotion to the painting. Regardless of his usual difficulty to explain how he felt, he had never had that problem with art; his strokes could convey the most wonderful sensations.

As I hoped, he had been ecstatic to see me, spinning me through the air just like he did when we were children back in Siberia. A lot had changed since then, and I feared there wasn’t much left of the little girl he used to protect, but it was okay. After he had calmed down, I had sat down on the far side of his bed with my legs crossed, asking him to tell me everything I had missed.

― _Nyet,_ snowflake, it is a good thing. This way, I can focus exclusively on showing the students the painting technique while Angelica instructs them on its history. She’s a very competent teacher.

―Ah, so we’re on a first name basis already, are we, big brother?

If Piotr could have blushed, I bet we would have. Most people used to treat him as this impermeable man -it didn’t help that he was actually invulnerable- but he had so much love in his heart he often chose to hide it rather than act on it. 

―I… I know you’ve always hoped Katya and I would end up together. But I haven’t felt that way about her for a long time, and… Angelica treats me kindly. She’s inspired me to paint some wonderful things, and she treasures every piece I give her ―he said in a rush, his eyes fixed on the floor. Watching him like that, I was quickly overcome with emotion and had to take a moment to find my words.

―Piotr… It’s true I’ve pushed for Kitty for a long time. She was the first person I saw you find peace in, and she’s my best friend… but I never wanted to pressure you into loving her ―I took his hands in mine and kissed his forehead, on the verge of tears―. I only wanted you to be happy the way I knew you could be. Does Angelica make you happy?

―She does, _snezhinka_.

―Then I’m happy for you as well ―I declared, wiping the corners of my eyes with the back of my hand―. I’ll have to meet her, of course.

―Naturally ―he agreed merrily. We were the only family the other had; it would definitely mean a lot to him that I made her acquaintance―. I think I know where she is right now, actually.

―Then go get her! I’ll wait here ―I told him, and watched as he darted out of the room to find his girlfriend so he could introduce her to me. I was still there, sitting in his bed and thinking about making a decent first impression, when a sudden hit in the back of my neck darkened my vision. I guessed presentations would have to wait.


End file.
